Soapbox Diaries

It is reported that 44,000 people in Louisville, Kentucky live in areas where there are limited options for affordable, nutritious food, and more than 120,000 are food insecure.

On this week's episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Shauntrice Martin, the founder of #feedthewest and owner of Black Market KY – two food justice initiatives in the West End of Louisville.

This is our debut of Season 4. Today's guest on Soapbox Diaries is Frank X Walker, former Kentucky Poet Laureate and author of the new book, Masked Man: Black, Pandemic and Protest Poems. We discuss his creative work in response to coronavirus and this summer's protests, as well as his take on where America goes next.

On this week's episode of Soapbox Diaries, our guest is Dr. Jerika Ross, a licensed psychologist. She is the owner of Therapy 419, a private practice which specializes in women's health and identity. In this world filled with so many daily traumas, today we will be discussing mental health in the Black community.

Our guest today is Wayne Riley, founder of the Laurel County African American Heritage Center. We will be discussing the power of history to shape the next generation and how to move from under the shadow of tragic events in the past.

**This episode was recorded prior to the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Judge Melissa Moore Murphy, Fayette District Court Division 4, joins us to discuss next steps for those wanting to stay engaged following the general election. We discuss criminal justice reform, the power of the vote, and how to fight against despair after election losses. Plus, a quick lesson on the structure of the judiciary.

The national buying power of Blacks in 2019 was $1.4 trillion, but a dollar stays in the Black community just 6 minutes. Our guest today is working to change that. Ashley Smith is co-founder and COO of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, a statewide agritourism company with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. Episode 2 of 2

Production intern Jaleyah Northington continues conversation with Ashley Smith, co-founder and COO of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, a statewide agritourism company with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. Catch the full episode where we discussed the power of cooperative economics in the Black community.

The national buying power of Blacks in 2019 was $1.4 trillion, but a dollar stays in the Black community just 6 minutes. Our guest today is working to change that. Ashley Smith is co-founder and COO of Black Soil: Our Better Nature, a statewide agritourism company with a mission of reconnecting Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. Episode 1 of 2

Production intern Jaleyah Northington continues conversation with Melanie Kirkwood-Marshall, a literacy educator and doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Catch the full episode where we discussed the impact of multi-cultural children's literature and where we still have work to do.

Our guest is Melanie Kirkwood-Marshall, a literacy educator and doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We'll discuss the impact of multi-cultural children's literature and where we still have work to do. Plus, Kirkwood-Marshall provides a list of notables to surprise the booklover in your life this holiday season.